Chitchat Why do ex-offenders keep re-offending

Two main reasons

(A) They belong to a gang or whatever, they feel their position is valuable and they are willing to risk their life and all to maintain their standing. Also important is loyalty to their band of brothers - they are willing to give it all to the group because they feel this is closest they have to a family, they are nothing and nobody without the gang

(B) They feel no one in the world cares for them, their family looks down on them, despises them, or even disowns them entirely. So they feel what the heck, this kind of Kanasai life I have, this kind of fucked up world I am living in, why should I play the good guy? Get caught get caught lah, I go Changi got free rice to eat somemore, I can even see my buddy in there, not good meh? Fuck care lah, CCB!

You ask any govt scholar, they will give you standard textbook answer like, oh this person is an addict (sex addict or drug addict or kleptomaniac or whatever) and cannot help himself. Or those G scholars will say, this guy is too poor, that's why he keeps on stealing, re-offending. Talk to those people and get to know them better first before you run to your standard "O" level & "A" level textbook answers.

Singapore should create a penal colony on some remote Island where they can dump all the scum. Problem solved.

Thick Face Black Heart said:

Two main reasons

(A) They belong to a gang or whatever, they feel their position is valuable and they are willing to risk their life and all to maintain their standing. Also important is loyalty to their band of brothers - they are willing to give it all to the group because they feel this is closest they have to a family, they are nothing and nobody without the gang

(B) They feel no one in the world cares for them, their family looks down on them, despises them, or even disowns them entirely. So they feel what the heck, this kind of Kanasai life I have, this kind of fucked up world I am living in, why should I play the good guy? Get caught get caught lah, I go Changi got free rice to eat somemore, I can even see my buddy in there, not good meh? Fuck care lah, CCB!

You ask any govt scholar, they will give you standard textbook answer like, oh this person is an addict (sex addict or drug addict or kleptomaniac or whatever) and cannot help himself. Or those G scholars will say, this guy is too poor, that's why he keeps on stealing, re-offending. Talk to those people and get to know them better first before you run to your standard "O" level & "A" level textbook answers.

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Lack of economic prospect is the main reason why ex-convicts goes back to crime. Once you have a criminal record, it is difficult to find a stable job that will enable the convict to go back to the middle class. The jobs that are available are mainly blue collar ones and Singapore don't play blue collar jobs well. The temptation to go back to crime for easy money is there.

Leongsam said:

Singapore should create a penal colony on some remote Island where they can dump all the scum. Problem solved.

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Singapore used to be a major penal colony......http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_39_2005-02-02.html
Where the current Cantonment Road Police HQ is today....was the Sepoy Lines....that 's where SGH got its local name, " se pai por"....

Ex offenders reoffending? Where you got the stats? And how you define % as to acceptable or unacceptable? And what type of crimes?
Imho drugs and sexual offenders are most likely to relapse. I got no explanation for that. Likely it's an addiction.

Narong Wongwan said:

Ex offenders reoffending? Where you got the stats? And how you define % as to acceptable or unacceptable? And what type of crimes?
Imho drugs and sexual offenders are most likely to relapse. I got no explanation for that. Likely it's an addiction.

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Agree recidivism is worst among drug offenders. I know heroin addicts who've been in an out of jail more than 10 times over a 20-year period. Not just for drug consumption, but also drug peddling, violence-related offences (assault, vandalism) and petty offences like shoplifting to finance their habit.

Once you're hardcore, it's almost impossible to overcome the addiction ... and all the crimes they commit are either related to getting the money for your next fix, or physiological consequences such as violence. I know 60-year-old addicts who're still clinic-hopping to get cough mixtures and sleeping pills, or going down to Geylang to get a quick fix of ice if they have enough money. When they run out of cash, they steal ... or pawn their parents'/siblings' jewelry.

Next would be the the psychiatric conditions like kleptomania and paraphilias (sex offenders). Very difficult to treat these cases short of locking them up in IMH for prolonged periods. But very small numbers, so not so significant in the larger scheme of things.

As for the majority of repeat offenders, it's not so much poverty or even self-hate as TS suggested, but the discrimination they face upon re-entering society. They can't get jobs, some get disowned by their families, spouses leave them ... and they're left with menial jobs like helping out at coffeeshops or low-paying blue-collared jobs. After a while, they revert to crime.

Having said that, Singapore does have much higher recidivism rates compared to many north European countries, despite having the most draconian laws in the developed world. I think the problem can be pinned down broadly to:

1. Ineffective prison rehab. Our penal system focuses on punitive aspect, rather than rehabilitative. In Norway and Switzerland prisoners are housed 2 to a room (TV, newspapers, attached bath). The aim is not to inflict pain and indignity on inmates – thereby hardening them further – but simply to punish them by cutting off association with the outside world while focussing on rehab. They're also encouraged to learn personal responsibility by assuming the kind of duties we see in NS – cooking, cleaning, guard duties, etc. Then of course there's the education courses and learning of new skills/crafts.

2. Poor re-integration into society after coming out, despite the Yellow Ribbon project. Our criminal expungement policy is a step in the right direction, but still inadequate compared to that of other developed countries: only sentencing <3 mths can be spent, and while officially you have 'no criminal record', you still have to report that you've been convicted before to your prospective employer. Our conservative society is also not very forgiving of ex-criminals; this filters down to distrustful employers and strained relationships with family and friends at a time when they need the most support.

3. I know it's anathema to the conservatives here, but there's a positive correlation between social safety nets and low recidivism. Among Western nations, countries with the lowest crime and recidivism rates also have the most generous social programmes. It's not just about being able to make ends meet, but also the egalitarianism in these societies that fosters the social fabric that provides the moral and economic support for ex-convicts to return to a non-criminal lifestyle. This is also why the US, with the highest Gini coefficient and hardly any welfare to speak of, has higher recidivism rates than us.

so tis time u got me ...

me learned how u got me ...

me wun make same mistakes again ...

c who wil win nax ...

me wil outsmart u ...

Leongsam said:

Singapore should create a penal colony on some remote Island where they can dump all the scum. Problem solved.

Click to expand...

I recommend Tekong

Thick Face Black Heart said:

Two main reasons

(A) They belong to a gang or whatever, they feel their position is valuable and they are willing to risk their life and all to maintain their standing. Also important is loyalty to their band of brothers - they are willing to give it all to the group because they feel this is closest they have to a family, they are nothing and nobody without the gang

(B) They feel no one in the world cares for them, their family looks down on them, despises them, or even disowns them entirely. So they feel what the heck, this kind of Kanasai life I have, this kind of fucked up world I am living in, why should I play the good guy? Get caught get caught lah, I go Changi got free rice to eat somemore, I can even see my buddy in there, not good meh? Fuck care lah, CCB!

You ask any govt scholar, they will give you standard textbook answer like, oh this person is an addict (sex addict or drug addict or kleptomaniac or whatever) and cannot help himself. Or those G scholars will say, this guy is too poor, that's why he keeps on stealing, re-offending. Talk to those people and get to know them better first before you run to your standard "O" level & "A" level textbook answers.

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They have not believed in the good news of salvation. Their hearts are still hardened.

Thick Face Black Heart said:

Two main reasons

(A) They belong to a gang or whatever, they feel their position is valuable and they are willing to risk their life and all to maintain their standing. Also important is loyalty to their band of brothers - they are willing to give it all to the group because they feel this is closest they have to a family, they are nothing and nobody without the gang

(B) They feel no one in the world cares for them, their family looks down on them, despises them, or even disowns them entirely. So they feel what the heck, this kind of Kanasai life I have, this kind of fucked up world I am living in, why should I play the good guy? Get caught get caught lah, I go Changi got free rice to eat somemore, I can even see my buddy in there, not good meh? Fuck care lah, CCB!

You ask any govt scholar, they will give you standard textbook answer like, oh this person is an addict (sex addict or drug addict or kleptomaniac or whatever) and cannot help himself. Or those G scholars will say, this guy is too poor, that's why he keeps on stealing, re-offending. Talk to those people and get to know them better first before you run to your standard "O" level & "A" level textbook answers.

Click to expand...

It's because they aren't saved.

Have you seen the amount of religious tattoos those gangsters have? They need to give themselves to Christ.

Leongsam said:

Singapore should create a penal colony on some remote Island where they can dump all the scum. Problem solved.

Click to expand...

zhihau said:

I recommend Tekong

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we've got pulau semakau to house these scums with the existing landfill - throw in the korals and you've got a healthy mix